Beating No. 4 Father Lopez Major Task For Cosden, Eustis

EUSTIS — Acting head coach Craig Cosden has had a lot to learn in the two weeks he has been in charge of the Eustis High School football team.

Cosden, a defensive coordinator by trade, has been cramming for the past two weeks to learn Eustis' offense. He called offensive and defensive signals during last week's 33-6 victory over Groveland.

And now, as if that weren't enough, Cosden has had to be concerned with preparing a game plan to beat Daytona Beach Father Lopez, the No. 4-ranked, Class AA team in tonight's homecoming game at 8 in the Panther Den.

The game is one of six scheduled for tonight including teams from Lake and Sumter counties. In other games, all beginning at 8: St. Cloud (3-1) is at Clermont (0-4); Leesburg (2-2) is at Ocala Vanguard (1-3); Brooksville Hernando (2-2) is at Bushnell South Sumter (2-1); Eatonville Wymore Tech (2-1) is at Groveland (0-3); and Umatilla (1-2, 1-1) is at Mount Dora (2-1, 1-1) in a Class AA, District 5 game.

Cosden said he wasn't sure how the Panthers ended up with Father Lopez as their homecoming opponent. The only thing he knows is that Eustis officials didn't want to schedule the homecoming week during a district game. Father Lopez is the last nondistrict opponent on its schedule.

Cosden, a former linebacker at the University of Miami, said learning the offense wasn't quite as difficult as he thought it would be. His college experience has come in handy.

''In college, you watch films and pick apart opposing offenses,'' Cosden said. ''So I've picked apart offenses like Tony Dorsett's at the University of Pittsburgh, Nebraska's and Ohio State's. The only problem that we've had is that I've spent so much time on offense, and not much at all on defense.''

Eustis may need its best defensive effort against the Green Wave, which runs out of a Wishbone, and sometimes breaks the bone and goes into an 'I' formation.

''They are an excellent team,'' Cosden said. ''They have great running backs, they are hard hitting, and they are very well coached. They are very efficient at what they do, and they have a nice passing attack.

''We've worked harder this whole week than we have any other week this season, Cosden said. ''This week has been a test. I've pushed the players very hard and they've made it. Now it's all up to them.''

Cosden took over at Eustis on Sept. 30 when head coach Steve Brown was suspended with pay from his teaching and coaching duties amid an allegation of misconduct toward a student.

LEESBURG AT OCALA VANGUARD: Although Vanguard has a losing record, the Knights have lost to some pretty tough competition. But Vanguard suffered a worse setback last week than the 21-14 loss to Gainesville.

Quarterback Chip Reed sustained a separated shoulder while trying to recover a fumble and is out for an indefinite time. Junior Steve Head, who was being used at wide receiver, is expected to replace Reed tonight.

''We are a very inexperienced team,'' Vanguard Coach Phillip Yancey said. ''We still are going through the learning phase. We didn't retain but four starters from last year's team and one of those was my quarterback. We have a lot of seniors on this team, but they just haven't played much before.''

Vanguard's major concern will be to stop Leesburg fullback Jon Cannon, 6-3, 225 pounds, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in eight consecutive games. Vanguard counters with swift-footed Paul Curry who is averaging four yards a carry. Curry has 9.7 speed.

ST. CLOUD AT CLERMONT: St. Cloud may be somewhat of a surprise team this season in Class AAA. The Bulldogs lost 21 seniors from last season, including 15 two-way starters. But the inexperience hasn't seemed to have slow them.

The Bulldogs' only loss this season came in a 21-0 decision to Orlando Jones.

Junior quarterback Brian Hendron is the key to St. Cloud's offense, having completed 21 of 73 passes with two interceptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

BROOKSVILLE HERNANDO AT BUSHNELL SOUTH SUMTER: James Lewis has returned to South Sumter's team after sitting out the first two games of the season because of academic ineligibility. But Lewis, who has game-breaking potential, was used only sparingly against Mount Dora last week.

The real star of the game was defensive back Ron Mitchell who intercepted two passes inside the 15-yard line.

WYMORE TECH AT GROVELAND: This could be the chance for a victory that Groveland has been waiting for.

But Wymore Tech is not the doormat that it has been in recent years. The Bobcats bring a 2-1 record into the game, having defeated both Tavares and Kissimmee Gateway, after opening their season with a loss to Melbourne Florida Air Academy.